Week seven was jam-packed and we finally have our mock trial teams! The week started off with our deposition workshop with partners Skip Eubanks and Melissa Softness. Skip was hilarious as the plaintiff. Throughout the deposition, he was very eccentric with lots of energy. He and Melissa both shared that there are a lot of witnesses that will act like that during real depositions so I am glad Skip did not play the easiest witness. My style is more conversational to try and build rapport with witnesses to get as much information as possible.
On Tuesday, we had our first formal meeting about the mock trial. Patrick Delaney, the mock trial “master,” walked us through the schedule and game plan for the final weeks of preparation. We are going to be in teams of two, with two teams representing the Defendant and the third team representing the Plaintiff. Each summer associate is going to argue one motion in limine, either the opening or closing statement, and direct and cross-examination of a witness. The seminars and workshops have prepared us for this and I can’t wait! Coleman from the Orlando office is my partner and we are going to crush it as the Plaintiff’s counsel.
Associate Erin Weinstock invited me to watch another deposition later that morning. This was for another expert and I am feeling very comfortable with the flow of different questions and what to listen for during a deposition. I sent Erin a summary of the deposition which was great practice to ensure that I am getting the key takeaways from every deposition.
I have started receiving a few “quick research” assignments the past few weeks. Instead of major research memorandum, these requests are quick emails that can help attorneys analyze their cases on the fly. I enjoy having a range of assignments that feels like I am part of each case and that I am contributing to moving the case forward for the firm. These quick assignments help build my confidence and even though they may be less formal, the opportunity to think about what the research means in the grand scheme of each case has been very helpful to understand legal strategy.
On Wednesday, I was able to watch partner Bob Fitzsimmons argue in a hearing for a construction case. He took the lead for the defendants and did an excellent job arguing three different motions against opposing counsel. Virtual hearings are never easy but Bob made it look easy since he has so much experience in construction law. At the end of the day, we hosted a surprise engagement party for associate Phoebe Thomas! She was so excited and we all popped champagne to celebrate her.
Thursday was a terrific day. We had an amazing seminar on direct and cross examination from partners Scott Sarason and Suzanne Singer. This was our first seminar in person and I loved being engaged with the speakers throughout. Scott made it fun by showing clips from different lawyer movies like My Cousin Vinny and A Few Good Men. He gave us helpful examples to assist us with our mock trial and Suzanne emphasized that preparation is key! We then had a delicious lunch with Frank Sheppard, the managing partner of the firm. We went across the street to Motek and Frank was curious to hear about our summer experiences- Ashley and I only had positive things to say!
We finished up the week with our motion practice workshop with partner Samantha Duke. She played both the judge and plaintiff while arguing our Daubert motion (from the writing competition). I was a little nervous but learned a lot by preparing and arguing the motion- I particularly liked doing the rebuttal. I am looking forward to next week’s challenges and new assignments!
